Perfection

Hebrews Chapter 6

Traditional theologians, commentators, and the Churches of today all have considerable difficulty with Hebrews 6. On the surface, it appears to advocate abandoning traditional Christian teachings and moving toward perfection. For traditional churches, that makes no sense whatsoever. So how do they explain the meaning of this passage?

The answer is they do not. Instead, it is suggested that the book of Hebrews is not meant for us; it is a historical book, written solely for early Jewish converts who were “falling back” to Judaism. I cannot find a single example in Hebrews that would in any way support that idea. In reality, this chapter is not about falling backwards. It is about moving forward to perfection.

Think back to Chapter 1. Hebrews is an end-time book, not historical. It is written for our day.

The Question Is: For A Christian, What Is Perfection?

Two essential principles for understanding the Bible are: first, what does it explicitly state, and second, what is the relevant context.

The explicit text states: let us go on to perfection. Not “get back what you had before.”

In our context, this was clearly articulated in the previous chapter. It pertains to the Melchizedek Order, which encounters considerable resistance in being accepted.

11 Of whom [Melchisedec – our High Priest] we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, [‘explained’, better translation] seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Heb 5:11

The subject here is obviously the Melchizedek Order and its High Priest. This is what they are not coming to grips with. Why is the book of Hebrews so urgent on the subject of the Melchizedek Order?

The most remarkable statement is expressed: “Leave the basic teachings of Jesus behind, and rise up to the next level.” Here, the basic teachings of Christ are described as the keystone of modern Christianity. Repentance, baptism, the resurrection (together with eternal judgment), and the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit. And even faith.

What could be more important than these?

Being explained is: put aside everything you know about traditional Christianity for the moment and concentrate on what is “now” really important. (“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart,” which is repeated many times.)

Moving on from the doctrines of (about) Christ to… the Melchizedek Order and its purpose.

Moving Forward to Perfection

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.  Hebrews 6:1-3

Perfection is fulfilling the will of the Father. That ‘will’ is bringing about a successful transition to the New Covenant. In this light, “perfection” covers the meaning of what it takes to perform all that. It encompasses understanding the purpose of the Melchizedek Order, being sanctified to serve within it, and ultimately entering the first resurrection to take one’s position alongside Christ. Perfection means the successful transition to the next phase. Follow through. Move on to where you can have a real impact. Why be a Mother Teresa, feeding fifty people for a period of time, when you could be saving the entire span of humanity, forever?

The passage lists what are typically considered the fundamentals of Christianity: repentance from dead works. Faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms (how and when you enter the Church), laying on of hands (receiving the Holy Spirit at baptism, also healing and miracles), resurrection of the dead (the resurrection, salvation, and such topics), and eternal judgment (heaven and hell).

These are foundational. But the instruction is clear: we must move beyond these basics. This is not to diminish their importance, but to recognize they are the starting point, not the destination.

If God Permits

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 if they [then] shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.  Heb 6:4

This statement, “This we will do, if God permits,” sets a clear boundary. It highlights that even if a mainstream Christian claims to possess the Holy Spirit, has experienced heavenly gifts, and understands the word of God along with the powers of the age to come, there is still an incomplete aspect if God the Father has not granted them “permission” to attain perfection, specifically, to grasp the purpose of the Melchizedek Order.

God the Father decides who He calls. Christ acts with those He is “given” by the Father. God decides, for the spiritual safety of the person involved, who He permits to move forward. In John 17 it is seen that the disciples are fully committed; therefore, they are “one” with the Father and Christ in the overall purpose.

A genuine Christian’s goal is to fulfil God’s will, termed the Will of the Father. The book of Hebrews highlights that fulfilling this requires working within an understanding of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Without understanding this Order, reaching perfection is not achievable. Why? Because the effort to reach that destination will generate the necessary positive outcomes throughout the process.

Moving towards ‘perfection’ will involve moving beyond basic Christian teaching. It looks at the future of the entirety of mankind, the Will of the Father. Entering the rest of Christ and God the Father is entering into the plan, the implementation, for all mankind, ready to move on.

As noted in Chapter 5, “Christ being made perfect”: Since Christ had always been “perfect,” something quite different is being referred to. Perfect in this case was the successful transition to the next phase. That is the essence of what is being asked of us.

A Simple Analogy

A simple analogy is given in verses 7 and 8.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.  Heb 6:7

The earth is designed to produce results commensurate with the work put into it. God will back up that effort. If there is no positive result, due to neglect, the whole endeavor is lost, worthless.

The next passage, verses 9 to 12, is a poignant message: you have done well so far, great, God will not forget that, but now a little more diligence is required to fully inherit the promises. This is what this chapter is about. The basics you have mastered are great. God will not forget your effort. But do not stop now. Move on to perfection. Outcomes are still in the balance.

The emphasis is not on going backwards but progressing in understanding in order to better “serve the living God.”

Tasted The Heavenly Gift

The “heavenly gift” means to be sanctified (set apart) to be employed, to work for, directly by Christ.

However, “tasted” goes a lot further. The powers of the world to come involve performing miracles, and will include miracles “even greater than these” that Christ performed.

There is a presumption in the phrase “those once enlightened” that these people fully understood the Melchizedek Order and its purpose. Those who were enlightened “tasted the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come.” They were fully endorsed by Christ to act on His behalf. “The glory You gave Me, I have given them.” (John 17:22)

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14:12

The context of this promise, “if you ask anything in My name,” would depend on the “moving on, if God permit.” That is, with the understanding of the Melchizedek Order and its purpose and being fully committed to that purpose.

The passage indicates that having “the powers of the world to come” is conditional on being enlightened.

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.  Heb 5:9

This means “all them that obey the high priest of the order of Melchizedek.”

The Rich Man’s Wise Decision

This brings us to an important example from the gospels. A new subject is brought forward: if you do begin this journey of entering the Melchizedek Order, realize that once you start, there is no turning back.

The rich man decided not to accept the offer of Christ to become a disciple. That would have eventually placed him in a position of doing miracles as Peter, John, and all other disciples were doing. If then he decided to go back to running his businesses, giving up on his new calling, he would be in as bad a place as Judas was, a disciple that turns on, that rejects, Christ, what He stands for and offers.

The rich man, though derided by many devotees of the Bible, was on safe ground. He lives for another day. He could not commit to the strict requirements, so it was better not to superficially say that he would. Consider the alternative: if he had said yes without counting the cost, then turned back after being enlightened and empowered with miraculous abilities, he would have committed the unpardonable sin. His honest refusal, though it cost him the immediate opportunity, left him in a redeemable position. He could still come to faith later, still enter the kingdom at the general resurrection. But once enlightened and empowered, turning back means crucifying Christ afresh. There is no recovery from that.

Judas Iscariot provides the clear example of what the rich man avoided. Judas knew who Christ was. He had performed miracles alongside the other disciples (though not recorded in detail). He was fully enlightened, had tasted the heavenly gift, was made a partaker of the Holy Ghost, had tasted the good word of God, and had experienced the powers of the world to come. All five criteria were met. Yet he betrayed Christ anyway. That was unpardonable.

Why The Early Church Lost Its Powers

Essentially, this was the situation with the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 14. They possessed gifts of the Holy Spirit but were not using them appropriately. In 1 Corinthians 15:1, Paul had to remind them of the gospel “by which you stand, and are saved.” It was implied but not explicitly stated that they were near the edge of a slippery slope.

The first Church, Ephesus, lost their first love (their reason for being called) and lost the “power of the Holy Spirit.” As a whole, it has never been regained by the Church and will not be until the Philadelphia Church comes into existence. The seven churches of Revelation represent successive eras of Church history. Philadelphia represents the end-time faithful church that receives the “open door” and restored power, though remnants of Sardis and Laodicea exist alongside it.

The definition of “have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost” is shown in Matthew 10:23, where the context is the end time. The ability to perform signs and wonders was soon lost within the first Church era. The glory of Christ (John 17) will be given again in the Philadelphia era.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.  Mark 16:17

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.  Matt 10:6

In this context, the reference is predominantly within Europe, Israelite nations.

The Things That Accompany Salvation

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:  Hebrews 6:9-11

The things that accompany salvation are not the day-to-day attributes of being a Christian. They are the works that demonstrate genuine commitment to the mission. God will not forget the effort already made, but continued diligence is required to fully inherit the promises.

Two Immutable Things

The passage then turns to the guarantee that underlies everything.

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.   Hebrews 6:13-20

While traditionally understood as a promise and an oath to Abraham, in the immediate context of Hebrews 6, these two immutable things apply specifically to the Melchizedek Order. Mainstream theology misses this entirely because they have no understanding of the Order at all, so they default to the Abrahamic context alone. But notice where the passage leads: directly to the hope that enters within the veil, where Christ has entered as our forerunner, as High Priest of the Melchizedek Order. Christ said, ‘Where I am, you will also be’.

The ‘two immutable things’ in this context are:

First, the oath. Christ is forever the High Priest of the Melchizedek Order who has entered as a forerunner for us to follow, entering the Melchizedek Order with Christ.

For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 7:21

Along with a High Priest of an Order, we must by definition have the Order itself. Three days after the resurrection, Christ met the Father in heaven and was accepted. This corresponds to the wave sheaf offering described in Leviticus 23:10-11. When Christ said to Mary, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17), He was acting as the wave sheaf, the firstfruits offering that must be presented to and accepted by the Father before the harvest can proceed. Christ is the First of the Firstfruits. Others are to follow. He presented Himself as High Priest on behalf of the Order, and the Father accepted Him, which means the members of the Order were accepted in principle as well. Only the Father can call the potential members of the Order. Christ is then the author of salvation for all others.

The oath is absolute: Christ is the High Priest of the Melchizedek Order forever. Nothing could be more concrete.

Second, the promise. A promise is left us of entering into His rest. His “rest” is being in the first resurrection, the better resurrection, joining Christ in the Melchizedek Order, who has already entered as the forerunner.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  Hebrews 9:11-12

What is behind the veil is the High Priest of the Melchizedek Order. As well as the High Priest is His Order. It would be very difficult to imagine Christ being in one Order and everyone else in some other Order.

Whose House Are We

The concept is “they and Christ are one.” Whatever Christ is, they are the same, together.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,  Hebrews 2:11

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.  Hebrews 3:1-2

This points to an example of being one house.

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.  Hebrews 3:6

If you are of a different household, how can you be connected to Christ?

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;  Hebrews 3:14

Not if you are of another household.

6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant. which was established upon better promises.  Heb 8:6

The ministry that Christ oversees is the Melchizedek Order. That ministry, the members, is the means, as an addition, by which the New Covenant comes about. Whose house are we? By the which will, we are sanctified. A new and living way, which he has consecrated for us.

14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Hebrews 9:14

It stands to reason we serve that ministry.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  Hebrews 10:14

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).  Heb 10:19

“The High Priest over the house of God” can only refer to the house that is of the same priesthood as that of the High Priest. If they are not in the same Order, then they are of a different household.

The Context Is The End Time

As a confirmation that the context is the end time, in Chapter 10 we have:

Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Heb 10:21

The urgency, the repeated warnings, the call to move toward perfection all point to an imminent conclusion. It is an operational instruction for those living in the time immediately before the return of Christ.